Building more acrylic tanks

[milkman407]

Hah no worry mate, the air bubbles are only about 1 or 2 and very small, I just like to make sure it has extra support if needed. We do use clamps when needed its just on this tank it was so small we dident think to use them. We did a test to see what worked better.

our results where that if we just used the stores cut, the air bubbles are less likely to occur, than if we buffed it out. But That was on my 360 gallon, which we got the acrylic from a different place this time.

I just saw your pond your doing, and may i say holy crap thats amazing.

What do you use to clamp the acrylic down? We have actual clamps, but its hard for them to hold onto the acrylic.

Another question for you, When we router the tanks sides they become very foggy? Its hard to explaine but lets just say the sides arent clear. So we went into the workshop and on a scrap peice of acrylic we used a torch to burn the outside edges that we routered. It made them clear and polished, is there another way to polish them besides this? it dident melt the acrylic, but it did if we left it on 1 spot to long.

 

[milkman407]

Cut the tops, routered the edges, Shes full of water now . I'm gona let her sit for a couple days before I drill the plumbing and before I polish the edges.

Pics up in 30

 

[Epic Fabrications]

wow, thats so thin man.

 

[portabuddy]

Hah no worry mate, the air bubbles are only about 1 or 2 and very small, I just like to make sure it has extra support if needed. We do use clamps when needed its just on this tank it was so small we dident think to use them. We did a test to see what worked better.

our results where that if we just used the stores cut, the air bubbles are less likely to occur, than if we buffed it out. But That was on my 360 gallon, which we got the acrylic from a different place this time.

thats true if they dressed the edge already...

I just saw your pond your doing, and may i say holy crap thats amazing.

ha ha, thanks its a work in pregress, unfortunetly in canada the weather is VERY unpredictable, One day it blazing and the next its raining and all i get to work on it is the weekends since i work nights.

What do you use to clamp the acrylic down? We have actual clamps, but its hard for them to hold onto the acrylic.

I use bar clamps with the screw type end that you can tighten it down, once i used a piece of 2x4 to disperse the clamping force., AND IT WORKED WELL!, I was impressed actuly.

Another question for you, When we router the tanks sides they become very foggy? Its hard to explaine but lets just say the sides arent clear. So we went into the workshop and on a scrap peice of acrylic we used a torch to burn the outside edges that we routered. It made them clear and polished, is there another way to polish them besides this? it dident melt the acrylic, but it did if we left it on 1 spot to long.

I was actuly going to sugest that you use a torch, but there are better ways..., like sanding buffing and polishing., First block sand the side with a 400 then 600 then 1000 grit sand paper. once thats done and all the imperpections are gone and its all smooth you can hit it with some 0 and 0000 grit fine steel wool, i got a pack of each laying around, then with a cotton buffing wheel and a blue buffing stone clean up the side to a crystal clear finish, If you dont have the time patience or dont realy care you can just use the buffing wheel with a white then blue stone and it would work ok too bit the finish will not be the same, I will try to find pic of what i mean, i got new pads since i contalinated mine polishing me stainless exhaust to a mirron shine...

 

[portabuddy]

these are the clamps i use, each are 120"long, my dad bought them about 10 years ago for something and i bought smaller ones just like them, about 48" long and 20" long not too long ago, I love useing them, in tank and wook making. I dont want to go to my sheg to pake the pic so i pulled images from the net.





and here is a pic of the new wheels i got and the stones as well as the steel wool.

 

[milkman407]

Nice, we actully sanded down the insides and some of the sharp edges, than we routered all the corners and the sides etc.. I'm waiting on my ride, than I'm gona go pick up some sand paper to polish some of the tank...

While I was sanding the tank, I forgot to empty my sander, and so much drywall dust came out it covered the whole work room and myself.. Here are some pics of it though, sorry I dident get them earlier. And thanks for the help . I'm moving up close to canada in a year or two, so I'll have to stop by and check it out.

and a pic of my Pbass... How did that get in there

Im taken the pics... Thats not me behind the tank

We still have to finish up the top of the tank, and fix a part the saw decided to kick back on. but other than that its nice.

 

[portabuddy]

NICE, i could sware that there is no thank... but then filling it up i started to see it , thats a nice Pbass....


Oh and is that brace bending in towards the water or it that just me?, very odd that is?

 

[milkman407]

It looks like it in the pics, but I just checked the tank and its not. Must me some weird angle or somethen . This tank I believe I'm going to put a divider down the middle, for my fry. not sure yet.

 

[milkman407]

Drained it, dried it, Put the first coat of paint on the back and sides, Will start again tomorrow. Once we finish painting, we will start polishing it.

Pics will be up when this tank is finished.

Whats left :

Another couple coats of paint
plumbing
polishing

Than its going on the rack, and we start on the other 2 tanks.

 

[RexFish]

The way you could tell it looks good is if you can hardly see it